Purrysburg resident exercising power

Wednesday

May 5, 2010 at 10:53 AM

Jill Bennett moved to an 18-acre farm on Purrysburg Road to live in peace, away from the hustle and bustle of progress.But her family and several others aren't feeling too peaceful with the prospect of giant high voltage power lines being built though the middle of the nine properties.Central Electric Power Cooperative is planning to build a high voltage line extending from the Red Dam area in Hardeeville to Tillman to deliver more reliable power to that community, said Bill Rogers, the company's manager of right-of-way services manager.Last week, Rogers and Japer County Planning Director David Jirousek met with homeowners to discuss how best to make that happen.Central Electric Power has three potential plans. One would have the transmission lines going straight down Purrsyburg Road, in the front yards of several homes. Another would have it running through other properties, like Bennett's - splitting her farm in half with a right-of-way in the center of the most valuable part of her property."It would decrease the value of our property," she said. "We told them no. All the residents told them no."There is a third option, one that would make the residents happy but could run into major obstacles if wetlands stand in the way.That option would impact only one property owner from out of state on undeveloped land, Jirousek said.It's also the option that has been least explored. But after meeting with residents last Thursday, Rogers said the company would go back to the drawing board and see if it is feasible.Over the next month that area will be surveyed to see if wetlands listed in the National Wetland Inventory actually exist.Jirousek said areas listed as wetlands often turn out not to be true wetlands after all.But if there are wetlands, it could make getting approval from the South Carolina Department of Health & Environmental Control and the Office of Coastal Resource Management much more difficult than the other two options, Rogers said."We want people on the ground to see what's real, if we could build it there," he said. "We're going to see what we can get approved by DHEC and mitigate damages to homeowners."Bennett hopes the not-for-profit company, which is owned by all the power cooperatives in the state, is sincere and finds a way to keep the lines off residents' land. She's concerned not only about property values and aesthetics but the health of those living too close to high voltage lines.But since this is the second time the company has proposed the first two options, she's still worried. The residents successfully lobbied to keep those plans at bay in 2007, but now Central Electric is back. They are considering hiring a lawyer."They were looking for the cheapest and easiest way to go," Bennett said. "They were in offices just drawing lines," without thinking of those who live in the path.Owners also want to preserve the history of the area. There are two historical cemeteries and some of the land is owned by the heirs of former slaves who have lived there for generations. There are also many 100-year-old live oaks that would have to be razed if the company plows through the properties, she said.Residents call the area the Long Arm community and it's just north of the South Carolina Electric and Gas plant.In addition to their farm, the Bennetts own another 5.6 acres of land they bought for their daughter, which would also be split. In all, nine properties could be impacted unless Central Electric can make the third option work.That plan would carry the lines 350 yard behind her property and wouldn't disturb any residents, she said. Jirousek said he is working with the owners and Central Electric to make sure there is a dialogue and is hopeful there will be a happy outcome."The county's role is to help facilitate the process as best we can," he said. "We want Central to assess all options before making any decisions."Rogers promised the company would do that."We're trying to balance it all out," he said.He hopes to have more information for residents in about a month after the survey is complete.This the second phase of a large project started several years ago. The first phase carried high voltage lines from Bluffton to the Red Dam substation. The rest of the route to Tillman unlikely to have an impact on homeowners, he said.

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